The Evidence Presented
by Victoria123Fangirling
Summary: Adrien finds Marinette's letter from Backwarder while walking along the Seine.
1. Chapter 1

**The Evidence Presented**

**Adrien finds Marinette's letter while walking along the Seine. **

**So apparently, Backwarder inspired me more than necessary… particularly for being so cringy, but I hope you enjoy this anyway and I have many other ideas written down so something not about Backwarder should come soon haha.**

* * *

Mr. Ramier stood at the bank of the Seine, a letter in his hands. After Backwarder had been defeated by Ladybug and Chat Noir, he had returned to where he had been before being hit by the akuma's power. Skimming through the letter to see what had caused the unfortunate event, Mr. Ramier saw why Marianne might have been upset. Though he also saw that she hadn't continued to read the letter, that this person was talking about returning and giving them a chance. Of what he had learned about Marianne's secret love life (which wasn't much) from their occasional meetings on this bench, this didn't fit. The letter was also written in what appeared to be a female's handwriting. He wondered if this was meant for someone else, written by someone who was not Marianne's lover. He wondered if this was Ladybug's.

Not wanting to simply throw away the heartfelt note, Mr. Ramier went to the grate behind the bench. He placed the folded letter on the ledge and picked up a nearby rock to put on top. He hoped Ladybug would come to fetch it soon and it would get to the proper person this time. Whoever had caught Ladybug's attention was a very lucky young person.

* * *

After Adrien returned to Paris, he realized he needed some fresh air. The royal wedding was nice and picking up a prescription for a friend, while odd gave him some time away from his travel party, but Adrien needed away from his father and being stuck in a room or house with him. He loved him, but he needed space. And what better space than all of Paris?

Adrien easily escaped as Chat Noir, but soon detransformed and walked his hometown by foot. Walking the path along the Seine, he caught sight of something different. In an opening on the wall, there was a rock on the ledge. This wasn't entirely strange; people moved rocks all the time, threw them back into the river, kicked them to the edges of the path, some child might have built a rock structure. But as Adrien drew closer, he could swear a piece of paper, a white corner flicking in the breeze, was underneath the stone.

He approached to curb his curiosity and saw his assumption was correct. Holding the corner, he lifted the rock. He wondered what this was. Could this be for someone? Maybe he should leave it…

Adrien unfolded the paper and found a letter. His curiosity didn't stop. It wouldn't be left in a public place if it wasn't meant to be read, he reasoned in his head.

_Dearest you, _

_When you love someone, you must never hold back from telling them when you have the chance, because one day you might realize that it's too late and that all your hopes and dreams are ruined with no way to go back in time and do it over. I want to tell it to you today before you leave so you can take my words with you. I'm hoping they'll make their way to your heart and that when you come back, you'll give me a chance to prove how true these words really are._

_I love you._

The words nearly took his breath away. It was a heartfelt love letter. This letter must be very important! But it wasn't signed or addressed. Did the writer and recipient plan this exchange? There was no way to know how the note had gotten there or how long it had sat there.

Unbeknownst to Adrien, Plagg had been peeking out of his shirt and read the letter as well.

"Bleh! She sounds about as sappy as you."

The model blinked. "How do you know a girl wrote it?"

"The handwriting. It looks a lot like that Valentine's Day card you got…"

His green eyes studied the paper. "It does! Plagg, you don't think…?"

"Doubt it. Why would whoever gave you that letter leave an even more sappy letter out here?"

Adrien sighed and shrugged. Placing the paper back under the rock, he agreed with his kwami. "I guess you're right, Plagg. There's no kind of evidence to think it might be her. Or that it's for me." The model sighed one more time before continuing his walk. "Whoever that letter is meant for must be really special."

**THE END**

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**Okay, okay, I really wanted to leave this with the same frustration as some episodes, but… I might have more…**

**TO BE CONTINUED**

**PS. Thank you to those that review and follow me and my stories! I see you and love your wonderful words! I really should make more of an effort to thank you all personally, but many of you review in guest… so please take this blanket thank you and know it comes from the heart and with all the sincerity I can put into a few simple words on the screen. **


	2. Chapter 2

**The Evidence Presented**

**Me at the end of last chapter: And I'll leave it there because all my fics end in like kisses and I need something different, something frustrating… like canon. **

**Also me: But what if… this happened… *writes ideas that basically form into the whole rest of the fic* Oh dang it! Fine!**

**Not to worry, readers, I have more! You know I gotta fix it. That's what fanfiction is for! Enjoy!**

"_Whoever that letter is meant for must be really special."_

"That's what I thought too." Adrien startled and turned around to see Mr. Ramier was slowly approaching his usual bench. "It was Ladybug's, but she hasn't shown back up to claim it yet. It's a beautiful note. I couldn't get rid of it, even if she gave it to the wrong person."

"Really?" Adrien asked in surprise.

"Oh, yes! Ladybug gave the note to a friend of mine here, but my friend thought it was from someone else and that it meant she would never see them again. She was akumatized. When everything was put back to normal, I was here with the letter. Perhaps it was wrong of me to do so, but I read it and couldn't throw it away. I hoped Ladybug might return for it, but she hasn't it seems."

Adrien was surprised. He knew Ladybug wasn't perfect; she made mistakes. This was curious information though. She had apparently written this note. Backwarder happened because Ladybug had mixed up a note…

Marinette handing Adrien a folded piece of paper flashed through his memory. But that had nothing to do with this. A constipation prescription had nothing to do with love letters.

"Well… I might be able to get it back to her…" Adrien found himself saying.

"Really?" Mr. Ramier was surprised. "By all means, take it then. I'd like to know it was back in the right hands and not just thrown away."

Adrien hesitated before moving the rock. "Okay. I… I'll see what I can do."

_What was he doing?_ There was no way he could return this to Ladybug! There would be a lot of questions for Cat Noir if he handed her a love letter she had written. And what if it wasn't for him? She constantly said there was someone else. There was a big chance the letter wasn't for him, but he remembered the valentine. Could the writing match? If he took it home, he could check…

Sliding the letter into his pocket, he said goodbye to the pigeon man and walked briskly along the Seine. As soon as he could, he would transform and rush home.

* * *

They matched. The handwriting on the Valentine and the love letter looked identical.

Adrien was nervous and excited. Ladybug obviously had a thing for not signing things, but it didn't change the fact that it was highly likely she had written these two notes. He had no idea who the love letter was for. There was no evidence showing who it belonged to other than Mr. Ramier's testimony, and she obviously hadn't given it to Cat Noir. The Valentine, however… It was in his mailbox. It was obviously for him. It even described him! But why would Ladybug send him a valentine if she supposedly didn't like him? How would she even know his identity? Unless… there was no way… Ladybug turned down Cat Noir, but she had sent a valentine to Adrien. Could Adrien… be the boy she liked? There was no way he could be that lucky! He could figure that out though, couldn't he? Give Ladybug back her letter and maybe she would deliver it to the correct recipient, maybe she would deliver it back to him. What if she gave it to him in her civilian self?!

But then… someone was akumatized because of that letter, she might just want to get rid of it, think it was a mistake. Or maybe she would give it to another boy. Then he'd never know. But for now, he knew Ladybug had written this love letter and she had sent him, Adrien a poem on Valentine's day. That left him with hope.

* * *

At the end of patrol, the next day, Ladybug and Cat Noir stopped on a high rooftop overlooking another Adrien Agreste billboard.

Cat Noir's ears picked up a faint huff from Ladybug's direction. He looked over to see her suddenly looking closed off. She was turned away slightly, her shoulders and head ducked down.

"You okay, My Lady?" he asked, taking a step towards her.

She tentatively straightened her shoulders, sending a glance toward the giant billboard with his face on it. "Yeah. I just had something super embarrassing happen, today, and I keep remembering it." She glanced back at the billboard again and groaned. As she brought a hand to her face, he couldn't tell if the ad was reminding her of the embarrassing incident or if she was just trying to avoid looking at him in front of her.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" Cat Noir offered.

"NO!" Ladybug responded immediately, then doubled back, softer. "I mean… I could but I feel like saying it out loud will make it even worse. And… you'll laugh at me."

"I'd never."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, I might a little, but we all do embarrassing things. It's part of being a teenager."

"Sure. Next time you accidentally ask your crush to get you constipation pills, you can tell me how that's _normal_."

Cat Noir blinked. That… was familiar. "Okay," he chuckled. "So that might not be regular teenage embarrassment…"

"See! You laughed!" Ladybug slumped over in frustration.

"It wasn't- I didn't fully laugh!" Cat Noir was trying to hide back more laughter at her reaction. He froze when her head whipped up and she sent him a glare. "Look," he started, walking forward and putting a hand on her shoulder. "You can't worry about every little thing you do in front of him. I mean you still messed up pretty bad there but drop it and let things go the way they do. I'm sure he's not as weirded out about it as you think. Confused, most definitely, but…" He remembered the love letter. "… if he's truly as special as you think he is, he's going to see how amazing you are and not care a bit."

Ladybug stared at him. She still looked despondent but surprised at his words. After a moment, she straightened back up and furrowed her brow. "Are you really giving me advice for the 'other' guy?"

Cat Noir grinned at her teasing tone, then shrugged. "You never know, maybe my civilian identity's the one that caught your interest." He sent her a wink and took a cursory glance at the billboard ad.

Ladybug's face looked horrified and he wondered if he'd said too much, his heart sinking for a moment. Then she laughed. "Yeah, right, Kitty."

Cat Noir smiled but it felt awkward. "Well, um, whoever he is… you might want to give him this." He pulled the love letter out of his pocket.

This was not how he planned to give it back. He was going to be much more subtle, drop it on the ground before leaving where she'd find it, that kind of thing, but here he was, facing questions and confusion and possibly wrath.

"I found it near the Seine. Mr. Ramier said you had left it there, but he thought you might want it back. I'm sorry… I read it before I knew…"

Ladybug looked wide eyed between Cat Noir and the note he held out to her. Shakily, she grabbed and unfolded it.

Cat Noir felt downhearted at her gasp. "That guy is really lucky, Ladybug," he said honestly.

"I… thank you. I… I don't think I can give it to him now. Not after everything, but… maybe someday I'll tell him."

Cat Noir gave her a sad smile. It wasn't for him. It couldn't be. He couldn't be that lucky.

"You're a really good person," Ladybug said softly. Cat Noir's ears quirked. "You knew this was for someone else. You could have thrown it away. You could have laughed at me and my failure to talk to the guy… the guy I love. But you gave the letter back and some advice. Thank you, Cat Noir."

Cat Noir gazed down at her softly. Her glittering blue eyes made his heart soar, but it was also bittersweet.

"I like to see you happy, My Lady."

She watched him with soft eyes before turning away and starting to swing her yo-yo. "I think I'm ready to go home now. Til next time?"

He produced a true smile in return to her dazzling one. "Same cat time, same cat channel!"

Ladybug giggled at his Batman reference before swinging away.

* * *

"Why does he have to say stuff like that?!" Marinette wailed after detransforming in her room.

It was obvious Cat Noir understood her, whether she had a mask on or not. She wasn't lying when she said he was a good person. In fact, he was an amazing person, the best partner she could ask for, a true hero inside and out.

Marinette gripped her letter to Adrien in her hands. Honestly, she could probably take more tips from Cat Noir. He was upfront about his feelings and didn't let her continual rejections get in the way of their friendship. She wished she could not worry about how Adrien perceived her at any given moment. Adrien had been nothing but kind about the constipation pills, even seemed to ignore all her friends gushing over his 'gift'. Yet all day, the memories returned, and she couldn't help but feel humiliated. She worried that one wrong step and he wouldn't want to even be friends with her, let alone date her.

Cat Noir was right. She shouldn't let it bother her now. The humiliation was already done, and she needed to move on. Adrien was amazing and he didn't seem to be bothered by her mistake at all. Maybe Cat Noir was right in saying Adrien wasn't too freaked about it either.

Still, it would be some time before Marinette could even attempt at handing Adrien another note. She wouldn't want him to think she was asking for another prescription. Besides, this note she had written for him to read on the train, to think about for a few days. It was irrelevant. Adrien wasn't going out of town and he wouldn't have time to react, at least not enough to really think about the idea of them together. Not to mention, the last time she had given this letter to someone, they were akumatized.

Marinette placed the letter on her desk. Maybe one day it would be relevant again. Maybe one day she would have the courage to face Adrien after the weekend's embarrassing events.

"Cat Noir is a good partner, Marinette," Tikki commented.

Marinette nodded. "He is. I just wish he wouldn't say things that make me feel like I'm hurting him. I want him to be happy too."

"I think he is. Being Cat Noir, being Ladybug's friend. I think he's happy, even if his love goes unrequited for now."

Marinette sighed and sunk into her desk chair. "I suppose. I worry that eventually, it won't be enough though. Hopefully one day, he'll find someone else who can love him in the way he needs."

"I'm sure he will."

* * *

**Yeah, he will cuz it's you! Poor Tikki, always having to deal with relationship drama that has an easy fix but she can't do anything about it.**

**One more chapter! **

**Hope you enjoyed this a little more than the last chapter. ;) **


	3. Chapter 3

**The Evidence Presented**

**Meant to post this yesterday! Sorry! Enjoy this final installment anyway!**

**This takes place at the end of Stormy Weather 2. As you can imagine, knowing Ladybug wrote that Valentine might change things...**

Adrien stared at the notes in front of him. Ladybug's love letter was long gone out of his hands. He had no idea what Ladybug had done with it, but he knew neither he as Adrien nor Cat Noir had received such beautiful and touching, heartfelt words from the girl he loved. It saddened him, but the new revelation he was having was about to change that.

Looking down at the notebook with Marinette's sticky note and the Valentine's Day card he was sure was from Ladybug, he noticed similar handwriting. He had already compared the previous love letter with the card and was sure of its authenticity.

"I never noticed," he spoke to Plagg who hovered over his shoulder, "Marinette's writing…" It looked just like Ladybug's. But there was no way Marinette could be Ladybug. They just had similar handwriting, that's all. And she couldn't be in love with him. Well, she had said she was in love with Cat Noir, but if Marinette was his lady, she would have just returned his affections, instead of insisting there was someone else. Unless…

Unless, Marinette's feelings for Cat Noir were like his for Kagami, fleeting and short-lived. He hadn't given it much thought after that day, but now his heart sank a little thinking of her no longer liking his superhero persona.

The Valentine's card had been months before the Weredad incident though. The writer had answered a poem he had thrown in the trash at school. Ladybug would have had to have seen him throw it away to know who to send her card to. No one had been around. At least, he didn't remember anyone. But Marinette? And Marinette being Ladybug?

Marinette…

As Adrien tried to put pieces together, the impossible was becoming more and more possible. In fact, this wasn't the first time he had seen similarities between his friend and the hero. He noticed the familiar haircut, her natural leadership when she ran for class president, her random disappearances and tardiness that seemed to coincide with his. The idea had wriggled at the back of his brain before, but then he had seen Ladybug and Marinette in the same place when they fought Timebreaker and he completely pushed the thought out of his brain.

Now, however, Adrien knew there was a simple explanation because well… there had been two Ladybugs. And time travel. One of the stronger of his loose ties to the idea that Marinette could never be his lady fell away.

Adrien's own words echoed in his head.

"_You're our everyday Ladybug."_

…

"Plagg, I'm an idiot," he deflated. "She was right there this whole time!"

"Oh, I know," the kwami commented, paying more attention to his camembert. "You two have been absolutely ridiculous to watch. Wait… what? Who?"

Adrien caught Plagg's surprised and wide, caught-in-the-headlights eyes. He had slipped up.

"You know! It's her, isn't it?!"

"I don't know who you're referring to. And even if I did, I'm not allowed to say. Kwami magic."

Adrien stared at the little black cat stuffing his face with cheese. He tapped his chin in thought. "Is Marinette Ladybug? Yes or No?"

"I still can't answer!" Plagg sang. He was tormenting him on purpose. "I think the real question is do you want her to be?"

"Yes!" Adrien yelled in frustration then blinked in surprise. "I mean… I want Ladybug to be that easy to find. I'm sure she wrote this card and it's practically identical to Marinette's handwriting. So, Marinette is Ladybug."

Plagg raised a brow.

"Marinette is Ladybug," Adrien continued in thought, his hands starting to come up and run through his hair nervously. "Oh, no, I don't even… I can't… _Marinette is Ladybug_. It makes sense. It makes total sense. I can't… I can't see her as anyone else. What if she's so awkward around me because she knows I'm Cat Noir? What if she's trying to throw me off? No, I'm pretty sure that kind of clumsiness can't be faked. But Ladybug isn't clumsy."

Moments of Ladybug being awkward flittered through his mind. Every time her yo-yo fell on his head, when she would flail her arms or make anguished noises. They were very much like Marinette, but they usually only happened when she was stressed. He remembered their first meeting. She had come flying through the sky, screaming. They had gotten tangled up in her yo-yo. Hadn't she said that day she was clumsy?

"Okay, maybe she can be clumsy sometimes," Adrien chuckled. "And I can't even begin to imagine how she would know I was Cat Noir anyway. So is Marinette flustered because…" His eyes wandered to the pink heart on the desk. "…because she likes me? Ladybug likes someone else."

Again, he couldn't help but think he couldn't be that lucky. He thought about the other boys in Marinette's life, the ones he knew anyway. Nathaniel had shown an interest in her, but nothing seemed to come of that. Besides, the redhead seemed to be in a relationship now. Of course… there was Luka. She brought him to their double date – which Adrien now realized was awful of him to ask of her on so many accounts if what he was thinking was true. But Marinette did seem to like the guitar playing boy. Adrien wasn't prepared for the way his heart sank, thinking of the two of them together.

Maybe that's what Plagg was really asking. If Marinette was Ladybug, of course, he would instantly love her, but if she wasn't? What did he call this feeling in the pit of his stomach? He realized he _wanted _Marinette to be Ladybug. Sure, he felt like he had the proof, but he would need to hear it from her before he acted on those feelings.

"What if it's not her?" Adrien whispered, staring between the card and sticky note as if daring one to have different handwriting. "It- it has to be. It is. It is!" he insisted. "But… what if _he's_ not _me_? Valentine's day was a long time ago…"

"Are you done yet?" Plagg asked around a piece of cheese in his mouth.

Adrien glared at the black cat kwami.

"You're never gonna know unless you ask her yourself."

Adrien rolled his eyes but unfortunately, he knew his kwami was right. This could be solved quickly if he'd just take that final step of discovery.

It wasn't long before a black cat themed hero was bounding across the rooftops of his beloved home, the city of Paris.

* * *

Marinette spun around on her desk chair.

"Here's to taking steps forward," Marinette chirped as she tossed a cookie toward her red kwami.

"I'm proud of you, Marinette," Tikki said before taking a bite. "I think you've progressed much further than you think with Adrien. You'll get there. Someday."

Marinette sighed. Looking around at the pictures of her crush around her room, she smiled. "Someday."

Suddenly there was the sound of something landing on her roof. Tikki zoomed to a hiding place just before a knock came at her window. There were very few options when it came to this visitor.

Marinette went up to open the hatch, not surprised at all to see Cat Noir crouched beside the skylight.

"Hey, Princess," he greeted normally, but there was something different in his demeanor.

"Hey. What's going on, Cat Noir?"

"May I come in?"

Marinette stared at him. This was a first. Cat Noir had been in her room before during akuma attacks, but all of their true correspondence had been on rooftops and in parks. Or behind masks.

"Sure," she finally relented, heading back to her desk and leaving the window open.

Cat Noir followed her. He was making her nervous and he hadn't even said anything. But he was her friend; she trusted him. She just also wondered why he was here.

"Would… you like to sit down?" Marinette asked as she passed her lounge chair.

"Uh, yeah, that-that'd be good."

Why was Cat Noir so nervous?!

He stiffly sat on the pink dotted chaise.

"'Kay, what's up?" Marinette was straight to the point when she got back to her seat.

Adrien was starting to regret this decision. He hadn't even thought about what to say to her. He couldn't just transform and profess his love and expect her to admit she was Ladybug and that she loved him too. He had no idea what ideas were just his own imaginings anymore and what were facts.

"Well, um, you see… I recently got a note from a friend of mine… and it made me realize something," Cat Noir started.

Marinette's eyebrows flickered into a furrow, trying to understand where he was going with this.

"I think… I think I might like her. Like a lot! And um. I think she… might be my lady." He watched her face for a reaction.

Marinette's eyebrows rose immediately, and her body seemed to tense before trying to relax nonchalantly. The only note she had given was to Adrien so whoever this girl was obviously wasn't her.

"Not that I like her because she's Ladybug!" Cat Noir suddenly hurried to explain, waving his outstretched arms. "Well I do, but I already know she's an amazing person. If- if she's Ladybug, she just… It'd be the icing on the cake, so to say."

"So you want relationship advice?" Marinette's voice sounded stern, not particularly angry or sad, just cold. She wasn't prepared for the way her heart clenched as Cat Noir spoke about this new love, and she didn't want him to hear it in her voice.

"I… guess."

"Why?"

"What?" Cat Noir was taken aback by his friend's behavior.

"I mean I told you I was in love with you and you turned me down for Ladybug… which is totally fine, by the way! But now this new girl is in your life and… what if she's not Ladybug?"

Cat Noir blinked at her. He hadn't realized how that would sound to Marinette when she didn't know who he was talking about. He stood and went to take a step forward. "Marinette…"

"It's fine, Cat Noir." Marinette held up a hand. She was being a serious advice giver now. "There's a chance she's not Ladybug so how do you know? What if she's not Ladybug?" she repeated.

There was a heavy silence as they stared at one another. Cat Noir took the few steps forward so that he stood in front of her. Then he crouched down so he could look into her eyes when he said what he was going to say next. "What if she's you?"

The surprise that dawned over Marinette's face was immediate. Her eyes were wide and shaking, her eyebrows up in her hair, and her bottom lip jutted out just slightly as her jaw had dropped. Her face flushed and after a moment of silence, she started to sputter.

"Wh-what?! Me?! What-what are you even saying, C-Cat Noir?"

Cat Noir raised an eyebrow, but his smirk was soft. Taking one of her hands, he asked his important question. "Marinette… are you Ladybug?"

Both of their hearts were beating out of their chests.

"Why- why would you even think that?" In her panic, Marinette wanted to say no, but she couldn't lie to her partner, his big green eyes boring into hers.

Cat Noir stood straight and took a step back to give her some space before answering. "Your hair, your eyes. Overall, you look just like her. I can't believe I didn't realize it before. You're a natural leader, your lateness is usually akuma related. You're creative and you always help everyone around you." His eyes flickered over her desk and he saw a very familiar piece of paper. "You have the letter."

She raised her eyebrow. The only movement to show she might be coming out of some kind of shock. "I don't know what you're talking about."

He ignored her gasp as he reached around to snatch Ladybug's love letter.

"This." Cat Noir held it up with both hands before unzipping a pocket. "I found and returned it to Ladybug a few weeks ago. She wrote it. And the handwriting looks a lot like these." He brought out the Valentine's Day card and the note that had been on his notebook. He moved closer to her desk and placed them side by side on the table. Looking over them, he knew it was true. It might have sounded crazy to anyone else, but it was obvious to him that Marinette was Ladybug. "The only difference is you signed this one." He pointed at the post-it.

Marinette was overwhelmed. Cat Noir knew his lady was overwhelmed. But he needed her to tell him the truth, to trust him. She was going to figure it out soon enough anyway with the evidence he had just presented.

"Please," he softly begged and crouched down again. His transformation dropped. "Please, Marinette. Tell me you're Ladybug. Don't lie to me."

The secret superhero was about to drop out of her chair as she stared openly at her detransformed partner, at her crush from class, at Adrien Agreste. Adrien who was staring back at her like his entire world rested in her hands at this moment. Now, she knew she couldn't lie.

"Yes," she finally whispered. "I… I'm Ladybug." She couldn't get out many words after that, but as the full truth settled in the room, a weight felt lifted from her shoulders. She was still worried about what this could all mean, but for now, she started to feel okay with Cat Noir knowing her identity, with Adrien knowing her identity. Well, okay… as long as she didn't think about her crush on Adrien and just that two of her friends had become one, it wasn't too overwhelming.

Adrien smiled back at her; a genuine smile that made her heart skip a beat. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to force you, but… I couldn't have you thinking I loved another girl and…" He gasped and straightened, suddenly looking awkward.

Marinette blinked at him, following his movements with her eyes. Had he just…? She felt a blush start to creep its way up her neck.

"Are these real?" he suddenly pronounced, gesturing to the examples of her handwriting. A faint blush lit up his cheeks.

Marinette went straight red. "They weren't meant for you!" she exclaimed in embarrassment. "I mean! They were meant for you, but not _you." _She blinked at him.

A small smile twitched at his lips. "I know you've had a lot of shocks tonight, but can I tell you one more thing?"

Marinette hesitated before nodding her head.

"Good." Adrien took a deep breath, holding her gaze. "Because when you love someone, you must never hold back from telling them when you have the chance. Because one day you might realize that it's too late and that all your hopes and dreams are ruined with no way to go back in time and do it over. I want to tell it to you today before I leave so you can think on my words. I'm hoping they'll make their way to your heart and that when I see you again, you'll give me a chance to prove how true these words really are. I love you… Marinette."

Her eyes shook as she looked into his. He had just nearly quoted her entire love letter. She could almost cry.

Adrien grabbed her hands and pulled her to her feet.

Her fingers gripped his as if trying to hold herself up.

"L-Ladybug…" she choked out, trying to control her emotions.

"Yeah?" Adrien tried to catch her eye as she blinked multiple times. "I know. You're Ladybug."

"You're Cat Noir. You love Ladybug."

"I'm Adrien. I love Marinette," he chuckled.

She frowned. "I'm trying to wrap my head around this," she said, sounding annoyed, but her tone seemed to sound more like Ladybug and her grip on his hands lessened. "Adrien?"

The boy raised an eyebrow as his lady focused on his face.

"I don't have to think about what you said."

"Hm?" A confused look crossed his face.

"I don't need to give you a chance. You've already proven yourself time and time again. I already know how I feel about Adrien." Marinette's eyes flitted to the letter on her desk. "And I know how Cat Noir feels about Ladybug. He's the best partner I could ask for. And I've fought every feeling I could ever have that was more than friendship because I loved another boy. I love _you_, Adrien."

The teens gave each other soft smiles.

"With your permission, My Lady?" Adrien asked as he moved one hand to her waist.

A fearful surprise crossed her face as his eyes glanced at her lips and moved forward slightly. Then she smiled. This was Cat Noir. This wasn't a new relationship to be scared about, but the same relationship with a different dynamic. And she liked where it was going.

Marinette leaned in with him and their lips met. Their hearts burst in happiness that surged through their bodies. Their still-connected hands squeezed one another's. As they parted, they held each other close, Marinette's head resting on his chest.

"Excuse me, but the kwami is hungry," a voice floating around them whined.

"Plagg," Adrien groaned, leaning back to get some cheese from his shirt.

"I told you you'd get your answers."

Adrien rolled his eyes.

Marinette watched their conversation with amusement before realizing her own kwami was nearby. She turned around, looking to where she last saw Tikki zoom off. "Tikki?"

The red kwami floated out of a pile of yarn with a happy smile on her face. "You figured it out. I'm happy for you," she squeaked.

"Thanks, Tikki," Marinette responded as she hugged her small friend. She glanced at Adrien to see him watching them, his eyes on Tikki.

Tikki noticed as well. She flew up to him. "Hi, Adrien. It's nice to finally meet you in person."

"Nice to meet you too."

Tikki's smile made her close her eyes as she gave a happy hum.

"Do you know what this means, Sugar Cube?" Plagg was suddenly twirling around his counterpart with cheese between his paws.

Tikki sighed good-naturedly as Adrien smirked. "Sugar Cube?" he asked.

Plagg immediately stopped. He looked wide-eyed at the smiles on Adrien and Marinette's faces. If he hadn't been a black cat, they were sure he would be blushing. He stuffed the cheese in his mouth.

Tikki giggled. "Plagg and I have been friends for a very long time," she said as if it was an explanation.

The black cat kwami swallowed his camembert and frowned. "Friends?! Tikki! We are friends like Marinette and Adrien are _jusssst frrrrieennnnnds_."

The couple in question blushed at the kwami's emphasis and the way he made his voice go up and down on the words 'just friends'.

The red kwami scoffed and folded her arms. "You haven't done a single romantic thing in at least a million years. All you love is that stinky camembert."

"You know I'd give it up for you."

"What?!" Adrien gawked. Never had he ever thought he would hear his kwami being willing to give up camembert cheese for anything, _anything. _

"I think, um we should leave them to have that conversation," Marinette said, leading them a few feet away to her lounge chair.

She was still holding his hand and Adrien couldn't be happier. They sat beside one another on the chair, both blushing and slightly awkward.

"So…" Adrien started.

"So."

"Are you free, Friday?"

Marinette beamed at her love. "Yes."

**.**

**THE END**

**Well, this became much longer than I ever planned. It kept rolling and I was starting to wonder when it would stop, but here we are. Thank you for reading! I love hearing from you if you enjoyed it! :)**


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